Disc drives use a write head to perform a write operation on a magnetic recording medium. In one implementation, the write head utilizes a gapped ring core structure to generate a magnetic field during operations. At the interface between the write head and the recording medium, the ring intersection forms a main pole and at least one return pole. The magnetic field allows a magnetic medium placed near the main pole to be switched from one orientation to another thereby recording (“writing”) the desired digital information on the magnetic medium.